Chinese President Xi Jinping and Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, inspect the guard of honor on Horse Guards Parade in central London on Tuesday during the ceremonial welcome for Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan on the first official day of his state visit. Photo: AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that he is deeply impressed by the vitality of Sino-British relations and that his visit will take relations between the two countries to "new heights."

Addressing the UK parliament at the Palace of Westminster, Xi said that "China and the UK are increasingly inter-dependent and becoming a community of shared interests."

Although China and the UK are located at opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, "we have a deep mutual affection," the president noted.

"As Parliament represents the British public, the speech delivers a message that China is willing to address UK's public concerns, which will help them better understand China and its strategies," Ding Chun, director of the Europe Research Center at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Global Times.

Xi was greeted by a high-profile ceremonial welcome held by Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday.

With a 41-gun salute fired from Green Park, adjacent to the Queen's official residence, Buckingham Palace, the traditional ceremonial welcome kicked off at noon Tuesday with much pomp and pageantry. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh formally welcomed the Chinese president and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi and Peng were first greeted on Tuesday morning by Prince Charles on behalf of the Queen at their hotel in central London, and then traveled with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to Horse Guards Parade for the ceremony.

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Xi inspected the Guard of Honor and later joined the Queen and the Duke for a state carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, with the Chinese National Anthem being played.

Unlike last year's trip to Europe, Xi is only visiting the UK this time, a rare diplomatic arrangement.

"This not only shows the significance China attaches to the UK, but also expresses China's recognition and appreciation of the country's commitment and endeavor to better bilateral ties," Zhang Bei, an associate research fellow on European studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.

Following a private lunch at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, Xi went to view an exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to China before he headed to the Palace of Westminster to address the parliament.

On Tuesday evening, both the visiting president and the Queen are scheduled to make speeches at the start of the state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Apart from trade and investment deals, which are highly anticipated, the two countries will also discuss how to work together on global issues, such as Ebola, peacekeeping, climate change, and "making sure [to] work as close as we can," Hugo Swire, UK Minister of State for Asia, told the Global Times.

"The UK's rich experience and great resources in soft power as a strategic player on the international stage could provide insights for China in steering through the complexities of international affairs," Zhang said, adding that Beijing and London can cooperate on regional issues.

Strategic focus

"It will mark an era of accelerated [UK-China] relations, and one where the relationship is more dependable, more consistent and more strategically focused," Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Sydney, told the Global Times, adding that it is welcoming to see a time when the UK can create a new mode of behavior with China.

Brown, who had served as first secretary at the British Embassy in Beijing, added that never before have politicians at the highest level of UK government been willing to give UK-China policy consistent political attention and link it to domestic issues in the country.

"British Prime Minister David Cameron and Finance Minister George Osborne have basically formed an alliance to strengthen cooperation with China, which has also become a consensus with the Conservative [Party]. This trend can be continued in the post-Cameron era," Zhang said.

Ding added that strengthened ties between China and the UK can serve as a model for other European countries and spur China-Europe relations.
"An important member in the EU, the UK will also call for more openness in the European market, which is to the benefit of China," Ding said.

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